Sheila M. Cronin

The Gift Counselor: a Novel Sheila M. Cronin

Do all gifts have strings attached? Yes, believes pert, inquisitive Jonquil Bloom as she sets out to counsel gift givers at a local department store. A single mom and UCLA graduate student in psychology, gifts fascinate Jonquil. When are they sincere? When are they not? She is skilled at helping customers choose the perfect gift for any occasion, but she soon discovers that her elegant theory doesn?t apply to every situation, leaving her to wonder: what are true gifts? Ten-year-old Billy Bloom is the center of her life. Billy yearns to have a dog but his mom has told him repeatedly that she is allergic to them. Instead, his bedroom is crammed full of toy animals, each of them demonstrating her misguided attempts to distract him. Billy, a generous and hopeful boy, refuses to give up. Into both their lives enters Claude Chappel, a native French Canadian and general contractor working on a construction site across from where they live. Claude, who?s eager to settle down, is instantly captivated by Jonquil. Past traumatic losses make her wary of him. Still, his charms are irresistible, if impetuous, and after a bumpy start they begin seeing each other. Yet, Claude cannot help but notice that the gift counselor has denied her own son what he most wants, a troubling paradox that spurs him to action. A romantic and touching story filled with inspirational and psychological breakthroughs, The Gift Counselor will warm your heart this Christmas and all year through, and be the ideal stocking-stuffer for your family, friends and co-workers. Be sure to order early and often!